Mechanical design & manufacturing / Illinois MakerLab / 2026
IEEE PELS University Lab Kit
I adapted the lab kit’s printed bases and managed manufacturing and shipping of more than 200 complete printed-part sets.
Overview
From a mounting detail to a production run.
The IEEE Power Electronics Society’s University Lab Kit gives students a platform for hands-on power-electronics experiments. At Illinois MakerLab, I adapted the supplied base designs for 3D printing and worked with the client on the mounting arrangement.
I designed fitted slots for square nuts so circuit boards could be screwed in, removed for debugging, and reinstalled without heat-set inserts or adhesive. I also adapted the bases to print without supports.
I then scaled production through MakerLab and managed manufacturing and shipping of more than 200 complete sets of printed parts. The electronics and other kit components were handled separately.
- Complete printed-part sets manufactured and shipped
- 200+
- Screw-fastened PCB mounting without heat-set inserts or adhesive
- Square-nut slots
A removable mount with fewer assembly steps
The boards needed a screw-fastened mounting arrangement. I used fitted square-nut slots in the printed posts so the connection could be taken apart and reassembled, without installing heat-set inserts or using adhesive.
Printing without supports also removed a support-cleanup step from the production workflow. The photographs show the current printed base with square nuts seated in its mounting posts.
Following the parts through to delivery
My work extended beyond the CAD changes. I coordinated with the client on the mounting arrangement, scaled printing through MakerLab, and organized and managed manufacturing and shipping of the printed-part sets.
The outcome was more than 200 complete sets of printed components manufactured and shipped. This quantity refers to the printed parts; it does not include production of the electronics or the complete laboratory kit.
Original kit design: IEEE PELS University Lab Kit team. The project website acknowledges my contribution and Illinois MakerLab’s support.
Project reference
Visit the official project website for the wider kit, its educational use, and the project’s acknowledgments.
View the IEEE PELS project